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The Department of Political Science has an Honors Thesis Program to provide undergraduate students with research experience and skills that they will need in their future careers. The Honors Program provides students with:

• Individual attention
• Mentoring by multiple faculty for success at Â鶹ŮÀÉ and after graduation
• One-on-one work to hone research and writing expertise
• Development of skills used in graduate school, law school, government work and employment
• Environment that enriching writing and presentation skills

A student must be a political science major and meet the following requirements for admission to the honors program:

1. Students may apply after completing a minimum of 9 credit hours in political science. 

2. At least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average.

3  At least a 3.6 grade point average in political science courses.

4. Have at least two academic semesters left to complete the program requirements.

To apply for the Honors Program, a student must submit the following:

1. A statement of purpose regarding the thesis.

2. A sponsor letter from a political science faculty member stating that she or he will supervise the student’s honors research or a completed Honors Application Form. 

3. An unofficial transcript. 

Submit application to the Honors Director. After grades are processed, applications will be reviewed and admitted applicants will be contacted. No more than 10% of our majors will ever be admitted to the program.

1. Students must maintain a cumulative 3.2 GPA throughout the Honors Program to progress.

2. If less than a B is earned in any political science course or the student's cumulative GPA falls below 3.2, the student will be reviewed for dismissal from the Honors Program. The honors committee will review such cases and make a final decision regarding the student’s continuance.

3. Students admitted to the Honors Program must maintain high academic and ethical standards, attend classes, and meet honors level expectations.

4. The minimum amount of time necessary to complete the honors program is one year.

In addition to maintaining the Honors Program standards listed above, students must:

1. Complete the following course requirements:

1)   An undergraduate methods course with an honors compact or a graduate level methods course (must have already taken undergraduate methods to choose this option).

 2)  An upper-level undergraduate course or graduate level course relevant to thesis project.

2. Complete the capstone project.

1)  The project will take the form of a senior thesis (at least twenty-five pages doubled-spaced) investigation of a significant research question.

2) The project must be overseen by a faculty member in the Department of Political Science through Directed Independent Study (DIS) classes. Students should enroll in a minimum of 3 DIS credit hours and a maximum of 9 DIS credit hours.

3) Students must present their project at a Department workshop, University undergraduate research symposium or a major political science conference (such as the annual meeting of the Florida Political Science Association).

4)  Students must submit their project for review and approval by the Honors Program committee. Thesis should be submitted at least one month prior to desired graduation date.

5)  If a student does not maintain the necessary standards, credits earned during honors may  be applied for credit in the major.

• Faculty research areas
• Student research profiles

The M.A. program in Political Science program has competitive admissions. We seek students with a strong undergraduate record in their major and an interest and commitment in the study of political science. We do not require an undergraduate degree in political science. Our students must have:

Domestic Students

• Undergraduate GPA of 3.0
• Two letters of recommendation
• Statement of personal objectives in essay form
• If you are requesting funding, a one-page letter indicating the type of funding and why the Department should support you

International Students

• Undergraduate GPA of 3.0
• Two letters of recommendation
• Statement of personal objectives in essay form
• A general evaluation of international transcripts is required; Â鶹ŮÀÉ will do the evaluation (please allow for at least 30 days) or it must be done by a NACES member
• TOEFL score of 500 or IBT of 61; IELTS 6.0; Duolingo 90
• If you are requesting funding, a one-page letter indicating the type of funding and why the department should support you

To apply:

1. Complete the online application: 
   
   

• Official Transcripts: must be sent from the Registrar of each college you have attended.
  • Transcripts from U.S. institutions or English-speaking Canadian institutions should be sent directly to the centralized application systems (CAS). For more information on how to send transcripts, please visit the .

Please Note : Applicants who previously attended Â鶹ŮÀÉ do not need to send their Â鶹ŮÀÉ transcripts.

• Test Scores: GRE is optional. If you choose to submit GRE, you will self-report scores into the Centralized Application System (CAS), but you will need to request your official scores be sent to Â鶹ŮÀÉ directly. The Â鶹ŮÀÉ school code is below.
  • Â鶹ŮÀÉ's school code for the GRE is 5229

• Supplemental Information will be uploaded directly to the centralized application system.

Once your application has been submitted, you can check your application status online to ensure transcripts and test scores have been received.

NOTE: Application status will say incomplete until an admission decision has been made.

Application Deadlines

Domestic Students:
Fall: April 15
Spring: October 15

International Students:
Fall: March 1
Spring: August 1

All documentation must be submitted by the deadline to be considered.

This course is an intensive program that teaches students how to run a political campaign. It covers campaign techniques, strategy, and tactics with emphasis on recent technological developments. The lessons in this course will be presented by political strategists, national campaign consultants and political scientists.

The course will consist of group seminars and campaign simulations used to develop and refine a participant’s ability to coordinate a successful political campaign. Written work for this course consists of several short exercises plus development of a campaign plan. Groups of five to six students work jointly on the development and presentation of a single campaign plan for an actual upcoming race. The final day of the class is devoted to the presentation of the group-designed campaign plans.

This course will be delivered in class and online. At designated times throughout the semester, we will participate in a blend of self-paced and group-paced activities using Blackboard and alternative Internet-based technologies. Activities will consist of chat, blogs, discussion forums, email, journaling, blogging, wikis, and web posting.

Students also work in an actual campaign including canvassing, fund raising and outreach.

Applications are required to be admitted to the campaigning program. This is a hands on class that has offered only once per year. You should come out of this class with the knowledge, training and contacts to start working in political campaigns.

There are only 25 seats available and you must apply for admission. You can apply online at  

Successful applicants have a strong academic record and demonstrate good writing skills and an active interest in a political career. Before applying, be sure you have both the time and are willing to make the commitment to be an active participant.

The Department of Political Science's Pre-Law Concentration prepares students for legal careers by developing knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in law school. The concentration includes courses from subfields in political science focusing on American constitutional law, judicial process and international law. Students in this program take courses that include topics and issues in law school coursework and develop the abilities to read for a clear understanding of content, think critically, solve problems and communicate with greater precision and clarity.

The concentration does not require additional credits  in the Political Science major. In addition to the University and College requirements for admission and graduation and the Political Science requirements, students enrolled in the Pre-Law Concentration are required to complete four of the courses below as part of the B.A. in Political Science.

Required Courses (select four courses from below)